Radeon RX 6900 XT
Rated: 8/10
GeForce RTX 4090
Rated: 9/10
Pros And Cons
| GPU | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Radeon RX 6900 XT | ✅Adequate for 4k gaming ✅Relatively low power consumption ✅Relatively low price | ❌Lower performance than the RTX 4090 |
| GeForce RTX 4090 | ✅Best performance in a consumer graphics card ✅Relatively power efficient | ❌Very high price |
- In our gaming tests, we found that the RTX 4090 had around twice the framerate of the RX 6900 XT on average.
- The RTX 4090 only took around 30% more power than its AMD counterpart, which makes it very power efficient.
- The price tag of the RTX 4090 hovers around being twice as expensive as the RX 6900 XT.
Comparison Table
| Specifications | NVIDIA RTX 4090 | AMD RX 6900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Date | September 2022 | December 2020 |
| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Navi 21 |
| GPU Cores | 16384 | 5120 |
| Compute Units | 128 | 80 |
| Ray Accelerators | 128 | 80 |
| VRAM | 24 | 16 |
| Bus Width | 384-bit | 256-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 1018 GB/s | 512 GB/s |
| Memory Type | GDDR6x | GDDR6 |
| ROPs | 176 | 128 |
| TMUs | 512 | 320 |
| Best Variants | Best RTX 4090 Graphics Cards | Best RX 6900 XT Graphics Cards |
Architectural Differences
- Process Node: The new RTX 4090 uses the latest and greatest 4nm processing nodes, whereas the RX 6800 XT, being an older card, only uses 7nm processing nodes.
- TDP: The TDP of the RTX 4090 is around 450 watts, which is a number that makes the sizeable 300-watt TDP of the 6900 XT look like child’s play.
- VRAM: The RTX 4090 comes equipped with the most VRAM available on a consumer graphics card, i.e., 24GB. Once again, this spec of the RTX 4090 makes the 16GB VRAM buffer of the RX 6900 XT look tiny.
- Clock Speeds: The 4090 does not slack on the clock speeds either, boasting a generous 2230MHz game clock, with a boost clock of all the way up to 2520MHz, whereas the RX 6900 XT has a game clock of around 2015MHz, which goes to an almost impressive 2250MHz at boost.
The new RTX 4090 from Nvidia blows all the competition out of the water, giving us the best gaming performance ever on a consumer card, but at what point does all this power become unnecessary? The RTX 4090 vs RX 6900 XT comparison will detail the gaming performance of both cards to help answer this question.
Gaming Benchmarks
Now that we know the insides of the RTX 4090 vs RX 6900 XT, this part of the comparison will list the performance of these cards in games. To test the feats of these cards, we put together a test bench that only leaves the GPU as the potential bottleneck, and the specs of this test bench are written below:
- CPU: AMD RYZEN 9 5950X
- GPU: RX 6900 XT 16GB
- GPU: RTX 4090 24GB
- CPU Cooler: Lian Li GALAHAD AIO 360 RGB
- RAM: G.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series 32GB DDR4 3600 MHz
- Hard Disk: WD Black SN850 NVMe SSD
- PSU: ENERMAX REVOLUTION D.F. X 1050W
PUBG
- The average framerate of RX 6900 XT in PUBG was 101 FPS, whereas our RTX 4090 had an average framerate of around 198 FPS, which was around 96% faster than its AMD counterpart.
- As for 1% lows, the RX 6900 XT had lows of around 54 FPS, while the RTX kept its head above water with a minimum framerate closer to 81 FPS.
Forza Horizon 5
- The RTX 4090 had a 68% advantage while playing Forza Horizon 5, with an average framerate of around 168 FPS, while the RX 6900 XT had an average of close to 100 FPS.
- The 1% lows barely touched 60 FPS on the Radeon card, whereas the RTX 4090 had lows of around 79 FPS, making the gameplay feel much more smooth.
Spider-Man Remastered
- Marvel’s Spider-Man saw a huge difference between the two cards. Nvidia’s effort pushed 114 FPS, which was 133% faster than the 49 FPS average that the RX 6900 XT could manage.
- The 1% lows fell all the way down to 38 FPS on the RX 6900 XT, whereas the RTX 4090 had lows of around 81 FPS.
Cyberpunk 2077
- We saw a 77% performance increase in Cyberpunk 2077 with the Nvidia card, with an average framerate of around 79 FPS, while the RX 6900 XT averaged a framerate of around 43 FPS.
- The 1% lows fell down to 31 FPS on the Radeon card, whereas the Nvidia GPU managed minimums of around 59 FPS.
Grand Theft Auto V
- Running GTA V with every single dial turned all the way up had the RX 6900 XT, giving an average framerate of 56 FPS, while the RTX 4090 had an average of around 100 FPS. This came out to around a 79% advantage for the RTX 4090.
- 1% lows came closer between the two cards, with the Radeon going all the way down to 41 FPS, while the RTX 4090 had lows of around 57 FPS.
Overall Gaming Performance
The average framerate of the RX 6900 XT was around 70 FPS in our gaming tests, whereas the RTX 4090 was leagues ahead with a performance of 132 FPS. The performance of the RTX 4090 had no hitches, whereas the RX 6900 XT could not handle playing some games at 4k.
The 1% lows were around 45 FPS on the RX 6900 XT, whereas the RTX 4090 was much smoother, with lows closer to 71 FPS. The RX 6900 XT felt very stuttery in some games, whereas the RTX 4090 was more or less smooth sailing.
Power Consumption
The average power consumption was around 264 watts for the RX 6900 XT, whereas the RTX 4090 was much more power-hungry, with a wattage of around 342 watts in our testing. Its much higher performance more or less justifies the higher power consumption of the RTX card, but you more than likely need a new power supply with this card.
Price And Availability
| Processor | MSRP | Current Price |
|---|---|---|
| RTX 4090 | 💲1599 | 💲1600 |
| RX 6900 XT | 💲999 | 💲750 |
| Difference | 60% | 113% |
The cheapest you can find, the RX 6900 XT, is around $750 on Amazon, whereas the RTX 4090 can be had straight from Asus for $1600. The doubling of price going from the 6900 XT to the RTX 4090 is more or less justified by its much higher performance.
What We Recommend
The data is in on both of our cards, and this part of the RTX 4090 vs RX 6900 XT comparison will detail the pros and cons of either card.
RTX 4090: This graphics card gives you all the bells and whistles you could want in a modern graphics card, including amazing performance, a large VRAM buffer, and ample AI and ray tracing-related features. All of this is not cheap, which makes the RTX 4090 a card that most people will not be able to buy.
RX 6900 XT: AMD’s high-end offering offers a luxury experience without breaking the bank. For most people, the performance of the RX 6900 XT will suffice for just about anything, but it cannot match the performance and features of its more expensive rival.
All in all, the RTX 4090 is for people who do not want to leave an ounce of performance on the table, whereas the RX 6900 XT is suited for people who want to get by on 4k high-end gaming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Though not anywhere near the VRAM buffer of the 4090, the 16 GB of GDDR6 VRAM offered on the RX 6900 XT is more than enough for modern games.
Yes. The RTX 4090 consumes significantly more power than the RX 6900 XT but uses it well.
The increase in performance going from the RX 6900 XT to the RTX 4090 is roughly equivalent to the difference in price between the two, giving them an equal value proposition as of late December 2023.
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[Comparisons Expert]
Abdemanaf is a skilled creative writer who has been honing his craft since 2011. While initially working in different fields, he found a passion for technology and has been exploring the tech world since early 2015. Over the years, he has developed an in-depth knowledge of the latest tech trends and product offerings by various companies.
Abdemanaf’s writing reflects his analytical mindset and ability to think critically. He has a knack for breaking down complex technical information into easily digestible pieces, making his articles engaging and accessible to readers from all backgrounds. In February 2022, he joined Tech4Gamers as a blog and product comparison writer, where he has been able to hone his skills further.
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